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5 Best Bets: Week 7

What a Week 6 it was around the Tri-state area. At this point in the season, we know the contenders, and the teams that have completely lost traction on their season. For the squads with playoff aspirations, it’s time to start getting things cleaned up, and pick up some big wins coming down the stretch. There are a plethora of matchups in the Greater Cincinnati area that will help add clarity to the playoff picture. Here are the main ones to look out for in this week’s 5 Best Bets.

Moeller at No.1 Elder
It’s no secret the Crusaders are in the midst of one of their worst seasons in school history. They come into this game 1-5, and have been blown out in all but one of their losses. The combination of the defense not being able to stop anyone, paired with the offense not being able to stay on the field has been a disaster. For the Panthers, nobody feels better than Doug Ramsey’s crew right now after going into St. Xavier and beating the top-ranked Bombers. Matthew Luebbe continues to get better every week, and the defense played much better, forcing X into two turnovers and allowing less than 30 points. This has blowout written all over it. The only way Moeller keeps this close is posting a similar effort they did in Week 5 versus St. Xavier.

No. 3 Colerain at No. 18 Hamilton
The Cards quietly continue to handle their business. With Colerain, there is usually a bunch of talk, but with a new head coach and a young team, we haven’t seen them in the headlines as much. Since the Week 2 loss versus St. Xavier, Colerain’s offense and defense has been improving each time out. They have scored 25 or more points in three of the last four games, including a pair of 40-point performances. On the opposite side of the ball, things have gone downhill quickly for the Big Blue. They have lost three of their past four games, mainly because their defense has given up 30 plus points in all of those losses. This is a bad matchup for Hamilton in every facet. Colerain’s defense has been suffocating opponents and the offense is clicking on all cylinders. Look for Freddie Johnson and company to have a big game for the Cards.

No. 4 Fairfield at No. 12 Princeton
The Indians stayed perfect on the season with their Week 6 win against Lakota East. They pulled out a 20-14 victory on the back of Jutahn McClain’s 200 rushing yards and two TDs and the defense played a very good game as well. Lakota East dominated time of possession 33-21, had five less penalties, and won in total yards 322-303 though so there is some room for improvement for the Indians. They also turned the ball over three times, and that is asking to lose the game. Fairfield cannot have these types of games if they want to make a deep run. Princeton has had an up-and-down season, but have played well as of late. The Vikings delivered a two-touchdown comeback against Lakota East team in Week 5 and dominating win at Middletown from start to finish in Week 6. Nobody expects the Indians to play poorly again, so Princeton will have to be nearly flawless if they want to hand Fairfield their first loss of the season.

No. 9 Lakota West at No.16 Mason
The first six games under Tom Bolden has been a bit of a roller coaster ride for the Firebirds. They have two blowout losses, but they were to teams who most think are state title contenders in Fairfield and La Salle. They have played well against their other opponents and it all starts with the offense. In their two losses, they scored a combined 14 points. In every one of their wins, they scored 28 or more. How about the Mason Comets? After losing their first three games badly, they have reeled off three straight impressive wins, and are right back in the playoff picture. Mason has outscored their competition 91-42 over the past three games, with their offense catching fire at the right time. This game is a coin flip; both teams are coached extremely well, and are looking to get into the postseason. Expect Mason to come out aggressively because they know they can’t afford to lose any more games.

No. 10 Harrison at No. 23 Little Miami
The top two teams in the SWOC will do battle with first place on the line. When talking about the most impressive teams so far this season, Harrison is right at the top. This team can beat you in any way they choose, but the defense is playing at a historically good pace. They have yet to allow more than ten points in a game this season. The offense has scored 35 more in three of their six games. It’s hard to find any weakness with the Wildcats. Little Miami has been rolling as well. Their only loss was a 36-35 OT thriller against Mount Healthy. This team wants to have a track meet, and score as many points as possible. The Panthers have scored 30 or more in every game this season. Brody Reder is one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the area and can take over a game at any point. At face value this game looks like shootout, but whoever can create turnovers and get stops will ultimately win this game.

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GAME OF THE WEEK: La Salle at Covington Catholic
Make sure to check out the COMPLETE PREVIEW for this week’s featured game on the Blitz 5 Tour.

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Here are some other games for teams ranked inside the Blitz 5 Top 25 presented by TriStateFootball.com:

OHIO
Clarkson North (Ontario) at #2 St. Xavier
#7 Winton Woods at Edgewood
Loveland at #11 Turpin
Oak Hills at #13 Lakota East
Middletown at #15 Sycamore
West Clermont at #16 Anderson
Deer Park at #17 Wyoming
Northwest at #22 Ross
Western Brown at #24 Clinton-Massie
#25 Franklin at Valley View

KENTUCKY
Cooper at #19 Conner
#20 Highlands at Boone County
Dixie Heights at #21 Simon Kenton

INDIANA
Greensburg at #8 East Central

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